Helgeland · Norway

Arctic Circle Centre · Saltfjellet

Visitor centre where the E6 crosses the Arctic Circle on the open Saltfjellet plateau: almost no artificial light and a huge sky, but exposed to wind and drifting snow.

See tonight's live score and best time to go for Arctic Circle Centre in Aurora Atlas

Why it works for the aurora

View
360° over the bare, treeless plateau.
Darkness
Very dark sky, grade 0 on a scale from 0 (darkest) to 5. No towns or road lights nearby; the faintest aurora shows.
Aurora
Near the edge of the auroral oval: aurora on most active nights, low in the northern sky on quiet ones.

Getting there

Distance
About 74 km by road from the middle of Helgeland (estimate), roughly 1 h 25 by car.
Parking
Visitor-centre car park beside the E6.
Coordinates
66.5519, 15.3226 · Open in OpenStreetMap

Before you go

Dress for standing still in the cold, bring a head torch with a red light, and park only where parking is allowed. A forecast is guidance, not a promise: check the road and weather warnings for Norway before a night drive. See our winter safety note.

Spot information from visithelgeland.com.